Global Labour Demands Cannot Be Met By National Demographics Alone, Says Jaishankar Amid US H-1B Fee Hike

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted the inevitability of a “global workforce” while addressing an Observer Research Foundation (ORF) panel in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

His remarks, widely seen as directed at US President Donald Trump, came amid escalating tensions over tariffs, trade frictions, and steep new immigration barriers, reported India Today.

Jaishankar stressed that labour shortages make it impossible for many nations to rely only on their populations.

“There is a reality. You cannot run away from it. Where the global workforce is to be housed and located may be a matter of political debate. But there is no getting away. If you look at demand and demographics, demands cannot be met in many countries purely because of national demographics,” he said.

He urged the international community to create “a more acceptable, contemporary, efficient model of a global workforce which is then located in a distributed, global workplace,” calling it “a very big question today which the international economy has to address.”

The comments follow Trump’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas.

The programme, already expensive due to filing and legal costs, serves as a vital pathway for skilled foreign professionals, especially from India.

Indians represent nearly three-quarters of H-1B recipients, primarily in technology, healthcare, and engineering.

The new fee could make the system financially unviable for both applicants and employers, potentially curbing access to skilled talent that US companies depend on.

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